A Song For My Beloved
by shastawrites
Summary: [AU] Sasame finds out that being in the spotlight is not what it seems to be. He runs away from everything he has into the arms of everything he has ever wanted. prequel of Picture Perfect chapter 5 up!
1. Fated Encounters

A Song for My Beloved 

_Summary: Sasame discovers that life in the spotlight isn't what he thought it to be. He loses control of his life and runs away from everything he has into the arms of everything he has ever wanted_

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Chapter 01: Fated Encounters

_To see a World in a grain of sand  
And a Heaven in a wild flower,  
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand  
And Eternity in an hour._

_- William Blake_

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Himeno gazed out the window, her eyes exploring the lush green paradise set out before her. It was her first time to visit Hokkaido, a place well known for its very beautiful landscapes and scenery. It was time to pay her last respects to her grandfather, a man she had barely known.

He had been her last link to her family, and the moment he died, she felt like she had been born once again, to start anew without the shadows of the past. It was ironic that a stranger had kept her in chains for so long.

_Strange... I saw you today..._

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The man beside her was sleeping soundly. He had silvery hair, the wispy strands swaying softly as the bus gently rocked from side to side. She liked him immediately, his face showing no trace of worry. Himeno watched as he slowly opened his eyes, the fringed lashes fluttering to reveal beautiful amethyst orbs. They stared at each other for quite a while, then his face broke into a grin.

_You were happy_

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"Hello." His voice also had a silver quality to it, smooth and distinct, pleasing to the ear. Himeno was unable to speak at first, wondering if he had actually spoken to her. He smiled at her, as if humoring a child. "Hello..." She fumbled with her bag straps, nervous at having to talk to a stranger. She had watched him while he was asleep, and it embarrassed her that he knew. Himeno felt like she could have poured out her heart to him while he had slumbered peacefully. Now that he was awake, she didn't know what to say.

_I didn't know_

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The lights suddenly went out as they passed through a tunnel. There was a screech; a loud bang followed and the bus suddenly jerked. Himeno tried to grab onto anything she could; she was almost flung to the floor when she felt someone draw her into a protective embrace. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst. The bus rumbled for a while and was abruptly brought to a stop. They were still in the tunnel so they could not see a thing. The stranger asked her, "Daijobu?"

_That your smile was for me_

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Himeno opened her eyes and started to take in small gulps of air before finally saying, "Yes, thank you" in a small voice. She could feel his warmth encircling her, and his intoxicating scent engulfed her completely.

_So I tried to look the other way..._

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"Minna-san, gomenasai," the driver apologized, "A car suddenly swerved in front of the bus." The people slowly got up to compose themselves and arrange the stuff scattered all about the bus. Himeno realized that she was unnerved by the incident when Sasame engulfed her in a hug, saying, "It's okay, it's over. Calm down, you're already shaking." She finally let small sobs out, letting her tears dampen the shirt she was latched onto. The stranger slowly let her go, gazing into her eyes all the while. She looked at him, dazed and confused, unable to say a word as he slowly fingered strands of her hair and traced a line across her cheeks. His finger met a tear and brushed it away, leaving no trace.

_Then your words seemed to vanish into the silence_

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Himeno caught his hand and pressed it to her face, closing her eyes and savoring that single moment where reality and fantasy seemed to blur. The familiar music played in her head, as the dream took both her and the stranger into a world where only the two of them existed, living, breathing for each other. She was the princess and he her prince, dancing to a tune only they could hear.

_But I promise I won't forget_

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The dream was shattered; a voice boomed into the bus, but Himeno couldn't make out the words. She felt like she was underwater, hearing a foreign sound that echoed in a murky ocean. It was calling for someone, making her savior look up with a worried expression. He glanced quickly at Himeno, whispered, "We'll meet again..." planted a kiss on her forehead, and dashed out the bus.

_That I loved you for reasons I do not know of_

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She could only stare out the window, wondering why he had fled. It hit her that the stranger had kissed her, and she had not asked for his name. Himeno got up, trying to go after him, but the bus lurched sickeningly into motion, leaving her with no choice but to go back to her seat.

_Because I'm still here..._

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The passengers left the bus one by one, until Himeno was the only one sitting inside the vehicle. She had finally reached her stop, and as she got up she heard a small tinkle. She looked under her chair and saw a thin silver chain, with a ring strung on it. _Kirei..._ Somehow she was reminded of the beautiful stranger, and decided to bring it with her in the hopes of figuring out who he was.

_And I'll wait for you to find me... zutto..._

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To be continued...

Jap words:

Kirei- beautiful  
Zutto- forever  
Minna-san- everybody  
Daijobu- supposed to be with desu ka but I put the shortened version which means 'are you okay?'


	2. The Golden Cage

Hiya everybody, you're probably surprised that the previous chapter was from 'Picture Perfect'. A lot of people wanted Sasame, so I decided to devote a fic to him. At first I just wanted to insert it in my other fic, but it would get confusing.

I hope you guys review this one, I promise to have a new chapter out at least every month, I just have to get through my last year of high school. Wish me luck!

A Song For My Beloved

Chapter 2: The Golden Cage

Masako had definitely picked the wrong time to schedule another press conference for this silver-haired singer. The whole incident with the B-movie actress was not his fault. It was she who had lunged forward and claimed his lips. And yes, he did mind.

Sasame already had a terrible headache. He loved Masako dearly, like a sister, but the way she was all over him for that 'publicity stunt' was way too much for him.

"Gimme a break, it was her who kissed me. I had no idea, she said she was just going to brush a piece of god-knows-what off my suit."

Masako slapped her forehead and moaned, "And you fell for that? I thought you graduated top of your class! Didn't Hayate ever tell you about how girls flirt with guys? What the hell did you two talk about that got you flushed like a tomato? Still, no matter who really kissed who, what the public thinks is that you and that shameless hussy are a couple. It's all over the news! I've got J-Pop Channel asking for exclusives on your dates and wedding! Man, for a goody-twoshoes type, you sure do know how to get in trouble…"

Sasame opened his mouth to protest but quickly snapped it shut when he remembered how harassed Masako had been when he had suddenly disappeared a week ago. He had come back, with the strangest expression on his face, as if he were drunk or intoxicated by some new drug. She had noted the loss of his precious necklace, the one that he had treasured since his childhood days. Masako felt sorry for him and tried to look for a similar one, only to give him a watch that was 'so him' after being smitten by it one productive shopping day. The details of the bus incident and how Hijima, her burly assistant and Yuichiro, Sasame's personal bodyguard had almost got themselves killed finding him came to her later…much later.

Even he was surprised at the way he was acting. He was the shy, quiet type, not one for the big entrances that his best friend reveled in. Hayate and Sasame were like yin and yang, exact opposites. They did have a few similarities, like attraction to light, drop-dead gorgeous looks, enchanting smiles…

Hayate was the adventurer, while Sasame usually went for the tried and tested things. He was more in touch with his feminine side, which usually made him irresistible to the ladies. They fawned over him, by the hundreds, something he still had to get used to. His silvery voice, melodious both at singing and speaking could reach out to any ear and create a utopia for the listener. It was not through looks but through talent that got him the title, 'Best Singer of the Year' in all the award shows. He was crowned the 'Prince of Dashing' and 'Most Wanted Bachelor' for say…about 5 years in a row, starting from his debut, the unbelievable beginning of the 'Silver Prince'. Royalty as he was, he preferred to get away from all the excitement, and his busy lifestyle was really killing him.

Hayate on the other hand was the 'bad boy', letting all the models fall head over heels in love with him. He loved his fast-paced lifestyle, full of parties and jammin'. Bloody mary was an unofficial girlfriend of his, and it was not uncommon to find Hayate in the city's most celebrated events. He was the most famous photographer of his age, and there was not a single person in the media world who didn't know about him.

Hayate worried about Sasame, for he knew that the sensitive best bud of his was already reaching his limit. He was surprised by his sudden disappearance a week ago, something he caught wind of when Masako started going ballistic. He worried about how he was taking things. Some bimbo had tried to kiss him (actually she succeeded) and Sasame was more than shocked by the whole incident. So he decided to do what any best friend usually did in times of crisis: come over for an unexpected visit.

Sasame was resting on a sofa in the VIP lounge of the Paradise Hotel where the conference was to be held. He heard some noises outside, so he decided to investigate. To his surprise, he found his bodyguard shoved up against the wall by a man he hadn't expected to see… _Hayate_…

"And so how was the blond bombshell? Did she have long, soft hair? Lips? And you know…"

Sasame blushed furiously at the barrage of questions his best friend was giving him.

"Come on, how can you not let her kiss you for more than a minute? You wasted such a perfect opportunity. I wish I were in your shoes at that moment." Hayate took a quick swig of his favorite bloody mary. The silver-haired singer pursed his lips and sighed softly, murmuring, "I wish you were…" Hayate let the glass he was holding slide off his fingers to rest onto the glass table. He took his best friend by the shoulders and shook him really hard. "Snap out of it. Sasame…" He let his friend's name die on his lips. Somehow he knew that Sasame was in no mood to try to think of the wonderful things that had happened to him throughout his entire five-year stint as an idol. "It just seems so empty, not worth everything…"

Sasame wondered if he had made the biggest mistake of his life when he had sent in his demo tape. He knew he had a great voice, yeah, Hayate sometimes used him as his own personal radio. He also had the looks, the girls from his home town had a hard time choosing between him and Hayate. He had the calm answers to the questions thrown at him by the press. He was unruffled by issues, until they slowly built up in the five years. He had to run, to escape from it all…then he found her… _Who was that girl?_

He found himself thinking of her again. Somehow, on his way to Hokkaido, he had dozed off and found himself seated next to a really peculiar girl. She drew his attention, like a moth to a flame. There was nothing special about her. Being in the business, he had been introduced to thousands much more elegant, model-like, sophisticated…yet he couldn't resist smiling at her. She seemed flustered, and he thought of introducing himself (actually a weird thought as he was a popular guy, and the only way he escaped the stares of the other passengers was the fact that they were all either too old or too young to recognize him). It was the first time, in five years, that he actually felt the need to say his name. Sasame liked that fact, her being naïve to him and his fame.

Then it happened. His bodyguard Yuichiro and Hijima had found him. They swerved in front of the bus to stop it, and had called for him so he could come out on his own. That had made the bus slightly a dangerous place to be in, and he caught the girl in his arms, preventing a nasty meeting with the floor. She was shaken, and Sasame felt the urgent need to comfort her. He wiped away the tear that had left her eye.

"Sasame!" The call was a bitter jolt of reality, which he chose to ignore. The girl pressed his hand to her soft cheek and closed her eyes. He reveled in the feeling, her touch was like that of a butterfly. He wanted to press her closer to himself, to assure him that she was not a dream or a figment of his imagination. But they were coming, and he wanted her to be free of the consequences their meeting might bring. He started to go back, to a place that held no trace of home for him. His last glimpse of her was of the girl slightly wavering in the aisle, as if the wind was caressing her whole body like a lily in the breeze. Her lips were parted slightly, making her breathing slightly heard. He couldn't resist. He bent down and planted his lips onto her forehead, whispering to her, "We'll meet again."

Opening his eyes, Sasame found a glass of cold water pressed onto his forehead. "You seem to have knocked yourself out there buddy. You never did like my drinks did you?" Hayate stood up, and stretched his arms, making the jacket he was wearing ride up his shoulders. "Well, my work here is done. I've gotten you drunk, and at least that had made you forget a bit. You seem to have had a pleasant dream there. You were smiling for the whole 30 minutes you were out."

He held his warm hand to Sasame's smooth cheek. "I'll drop by again okay? Be good." Hayate snorted at the thought, making him think whether that last sentence had been meant for himself. Sasame gave him a wan smile and tugged at his blazer. Hayate grinned at him, then sauntered off to find the doorway and 'apologize' to the bodyguard he had left snoring outside the room.

He knew that his best friend was keeping something from him. It had happened during that time he had disappeared; whatever it was, he was grateful for it. At least Sasame was kept occupied. He did not need to think of any other scandals brought upon him and his career. He didn't deserve it, to be gossiped about with such horrifically blown-up issues. _Be good Sasame, hang in there bud._

Sasame only managed to utter a sleepy goodbye before dozing off again. He was used to Hayate coming and going… He loved how his best friend managed to make things a lot more interesting for him. Even if almost always it involved getting him drunk. _Scratch that, make it always…_ The alcohol had the same effect on him as it always did during his adolescent years: it knocked the living daylights out of him. It gave him a little time to think, recharge, and get things back in order. Whenever he felt like life was a big spinning vortex, Hayate always came to make things right again. Either that or bloody marys really had medicinal properties as the flippant bachelor had always claimed.

"USOOO!! You have got to be kidding! Me?! Substitute for you at that press conference?" Himeno had no idea who that singer at the press conference was but she knew that he was really, REALLY famous. And here, Satomi was asking her to cover it for her because she had to go meet her boyfriend's parents on that same night.

"Onegai, Himeno-chan… I really need to make a good impression. I can't back out on this one, I've already called off this meeting three times. Kami, what would they think of me if I refuse this again?" Satomi clasped Himeno's hands in hers and gave her those irresistible puppy-dog eyes she had.

Himeno bowed her head in defeat and sighed. "Mou, if only you didn't risk your butt getting me that SMAP assignment…" Her friend nodded her head eagerly, having just remembered that debt the pink-haired freelance writer owed her. About months ago, her friend had gotten an exclusive with the popular singing group that had taken Japan by storm. She gave it to Himeno, who at that time had no job or money to pay for her rent. She had no family to support her, and all her friends were in Osaka. After the SMAP coverage, she was able to get a better flat and offers started pouring in. She became a regular contributor to Tokyo Talk magazine, which sustained her lifestyle.

She sat down on her designated chair, in a room swarmed by other journalists and photographers. One of them even had the cheek to ask to borrow her camera, her only camera in the world. She fanned herself with her hand, as the room grew slightly warm from all the people inside. She squinted at the banner with a small part of the actor's face put on it: his eyes. Somehow they seemed familiar but she pushed that thought to the back of her head. Himeno stared at them, wondering what the rest of _him_ would look like. The name on the banner read, "Sasame..." She liked that name; it made her think of tranquility.

After the bus incident she had taken to wearing the necklace. It tinkled as she moved slightly, calming her and giving her some sense of security. Himeno felt a little guilty; she almost didn't want to meet the owner of the necklace just for the sake of keeping it. "But he was there… and he wasn't a dream…" she softly murmured to herself. It was at that single moment when she had locked eyes with him that she realized how much she desperately needed that dream. He had swept her off her feet into fairyland, and the fact that she willingly submitted herself definitely didn't help her in deciding whether he was or was not what she needed in her weird life. Himeno wanted to meet him so much and give the precious necklace back to him in person. She wanted to confirm that strange sensation she got from their previous encounter. _Maybe, just maybe, he could be the one for me..._

The room suddenly buzzed with excitement as the press conference finally started. Himeno quickly brought herself back to her business of recording whatever the singer said, and trying in vain to take pictures of him over the hoarde of men taller than her. They all settled down and took their seats after the short, cute little manager hollered at them to be seated throughout the whole event. Himeno was left standing and her mouth formed a perfect 'o' when she finally saw the singer named Sasame. Wispy silver locks, piercing purple eyes, lean and slender frame...and most of all, the shy, innocent grin.

It was the man she had met on the bus to Hokkaido.

to be continued...

Hello people! Took me quite a while. I've been so busy and it's my final two weeks of academics. Yahoo! Then it'll just be grad practice...then...FREEDOM!!! I already passed my entrance examinations (yes, all of them) and I decided to celebrate by finishing this chapter. Whew! The only review I got was about fnishing Picture Perfect first. Sorry, it ain't going to happen. After one more chapter of this (or if something good happens), I'll update Picture Perfect.

Please review! Thankies, signing off...


	3. Of Impropriety

My life has officially gone from bad to worse. 2004 does not agree with me. Some bstrd ran off with my cellphone. I hate people like that!!!!

I kinda slipped into depression after that, and the thing that revived me was a song. It'll appear in the last chapter of this fic.

I don't own Shin Shirayuki Densetsu Pretear, which's why I'm making fics about it. Sorry about grammar and stuff…I'm aware that I'm supposed to be writing in a correct fashion by now…gods, I'm already halfway to 17. Unfortunately, bad luck does fry the brain and suspends all illusions of common sense.

The show must go on!

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Himeno was left standing and her mouth formed a perfect 'o' when she finally saw the singer named Sasame. Wispy silver locks, piercing purple eyes, lean and slender frame...and most of all, the shy, innocent grin.

It was the man she had met on the bus to Hokkaido.

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A Song For My Beloved

Chapter 3: Of Impropriety

"Ano, sumimasen, could you possibly get your butt on this chair so I can get a visual of _him_?" An irate reporter behind Himeno pointed to the chair marked 'Tokyo Talk' so she could locate her seat. Himeno obliged with her jaw still hanging down from finally seeing her subject… A man so desired that fans break into his room to steal his underwear… Boxers, from what Satomi had researched… There was a framed pair in Satomi's bedroom. _That's intensive research…Wait, he's Sasame? THE Sasame? What the…_

After a moment of pondering, she regretted complying with the man's request. She was, unfortunately seated behind one of the tallest men in the room. The fates were cruel, or perhaps it was merely revenge taken upon her for not showing any warmth to her family. Not that it mattered; they were all gone.

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He's gone 

Himeno was crushed; her hopes of getting to know him better had been dashed. He was by far the most unreachable person for her. She had thought that it was perfect. Himeno had the ring strung on a necklace, and all she needed to do was to find that person and then, wham! Perfect ending: they realize they're meant to be with each other, and they live happily ever after. _Great, how naïve of me to think that._

She decided to concentrate on what she had been sent to do: write a stellar article about this perfect guy who was living his dream. She was skeptical at first, finding difficulty grasping the life of such a celebrity. Himeno wondered how she was going to sugarcoat everything and throw in a load of flattery. But when she saw _him_ seated there, she understood that her work was practically finished, and all she had to do was to string together the words.

The only thing she could see was the stern face of one of the singer's bodyguards, standing next to him, surveying the room for possible bombs, dangerous devices… Anything that would cause him to lose his job. _Guess I have to do mine._

"Hajime." He leaned over to the mic effortlessly, grasping the said object in his left hand instead of leaving it in its holder. _Oh my God…It really is **him**. _Sasame didn't let the reporters ask the questions; he got right down to business.

"Hara-san and I are not a couple. It is unfortunate that the beautiful lady is taken. Her kiss was merely a show of her affection as I signed all my albums that she had collected." He grinned, prompting a flurry of flashes from all the cameras in the room. The perfectly rehearsed speech prepared by his manager paid off as all of the reporters remained still in their seats, not smelling anything fishy. Himeno suddenly snapped back to reality at the mention of the k-word. _Kiss? Did you say kiss? _Her face colored and her grip on her camera tightened, turning her knuckles white.

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A flurry of images of a past, bittersweet with memories 

A woman with glasses raised her hand and Masako gave her a nod. She proceeded with, "Is it true that you disappeared last week?" Sasame's grin faltered a little and he replied, "It wasn't a disappearance. I missed the Yuki Matsuri so I decided to visit Sapporo while the taping of my new video was being postponed."

"What about that new video? How's it going? Is it true that Ayu-chan is going to be in it too?"

Masako snapped, "No compound questions please" and realized that she was no longer in law school. How she ended up in the film and music industry was a mystery to her.

"It's okay. It's great… The video is just going to show me walking along the beach and stuff… Although, I have worked with Ayu-chan before. She's a great person, really." He shuddered at the thought of collaborating with her again. His fans her fans = disaster (stampede, impromptu moshpit, etc)

Other reporters went on with the squeezing out of juicy bits of gossip from Sasame. Himeno just shrunk in her seat, not knowing what to ask. All coherent thoughts had gone out of her head, all those philosophical queries wasted. Memories of her trip to Hokkaido flashed in Himeno's mind. She realized she still had his necklace. The ring strung on it shone in the light, making her squint a little. _I should give it back to him after the conference…_

I can't seem to forget you 

"The last question please," Masako stated to the audience of writers. She honestly needed to wrap things up; the questions were starting to become…_stupid_. She didn't know how that was even possible with the old saying on how those who don't ask are fools.

A small hand was raised in the air, amidst a multitude of other hands. "You, with the red sweater," the manager said, "Ask away."

Himeno looked blankly at the manager until a reporter from J-Channel nudged her and told her she was the one being referred to. She grinned sheepishly upon glancing at her sleeve; it was a brilliant scarlet knit. _What to ask? What can I possibly ask of him? Does he even remember me?_

But you don't even try to remember me 

"Do you," she started nervously, her voice quavering, "…do you believe in fairy tales?"

He fidgeted with his watch a bit, trying to come up with a wonderfully insightful answer to her question. She (at least he thought the voice to be feminine) sounded like a little girl, asking whether Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy were real. Sasame struggled to come up with an answer that satisfied both him and the press. Honestly, he didn't think fairy tales could come true. _Take me for example. I have everything I could ever want. Am I happy?_ Sasame's amethyst eyes were fixed upon an invisible, intangible presence in the room. He could feel everything change around him, as if the whole place buzzed with an emotion that overpowered logic. He was brought back to his decision to run, to the escape, to the girl…

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I just wish you would 

Masako cast a nervous gaze upon Sasame. Hayate had told her he got the silver-haired singer drunk, and he might blurt out something he would regret. She reached for the microphone to end the conference when he grabbed it and fixed his gaze upon the direction of that reporter who had asked such a troubling thing.

Himeno couldn't see his face, but she could feel his stare through the thick skull of the person in front of her, protecting him from his burning gaze. He said, with all the passion he could muster from all five years of his career, "No, I'm afraid I don't. I believe that such stories are not possible in the real world. What we can do is to find a way to make reality as close as we can to fantasy, to live our dreams the best we could and hope it all works out."

He muttered a feeble apology for having to leave so soon, and stood up as the cameras flashed. It robbed him the opportunity to find the one who had asked the last question. Sasame smiled insincerely, knowing that it looked real in the pictures.

Himeno shrunk in her seat, knowing that his answer was the truth. She knew, quite perfectly in fact how tales of Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were confined to fiction. She just wanted to know if he believed. A lone tear slipped down her cheek, echoing the disappointment swirling inside her.

__

I just wish… 

He was a prince after all, in his magnificent palace, preventing a lowly person such as herself from ever reaching him.

To be continued…

A/N: Lines in … are from a poem we made during Literature class in senior year. The title of the poem is the title of the current chapter. It's sad because I can't get a feel for the story at the moment. Please keep in mind that this chapter is subject to massive editing once my darkness passes.

Thank you for reviewing.


	4. The Voice of Reason

Sorry for not updating, couldn't think of anything for a while. Sitting in front of a PC for weeks is frying my neurons. College… busy…

Arg, I really should move my Shin Shirayukihime Densetsu Pretear website… Geocities ads… I'll try to get it hosted. Anybody out there willing?

Okai, here goes. This is a rather short, disappointing chapter. I decided not to put translations as these are the commonly used words (in anime) and you'll get it without any explaining on my part.

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A Song For My Beloved

Chapter 4: The Voice of Reason

It felt like a crime to wear it. Ever since she realized that the man from the bus to Hokkaido was actually a really popular singer, it seemed like a sin to hold onto the necklace.

How she didn't recognize him was a mystery, even to her. His posters were everywhere; he endorsed almost all of the items found in malls. _I really need to get out more often_. During all those hours of research, she had not paid attention to a single picture she had on file of Sasame. She just wanted to get the nitty-gritty details, snap a particularly cute picture of him and get her salary for that month.

Himeno switched her sound system on for the first time in eight years, not to play her favorite _Sting_ CD but to listen to the radio and hope to find a song by **the** Sasame. Himeno had no problem at all finding one; practically all of the radio stations were playing his new single, _Silent Wall_.

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Maybe

The hardest thing of all  
Is for two hearts to face each other and be  
Unable  
to say a word

Pain immeasurable by  
Silent silver tears

Terrified, threatening to fall  
into the basin of sadness

Where  
darkness consumes every drop of life

Left inside a tattered soul

Two hearts that will never be one

Separated only by the silence  
that waits for eternity to cease

That's sad… Himeno turned the radio off and fingered the ring, clasping it with apprehensive fingers. "Yosh!!!" She stood up abruptly, knocking the alarm clock off her bedside table. "I must give this back to him!"

Her plan was basically to put the ring in an envelope, scribble a short thank you note, and slip it under his door. That proved to be tricky as he had guards posted at the hallway. _So much for being discreet…_

Another was to pretend that she was a fangirl (a particularly rabid one) and somehow fling herself on top of Sasame, distracting him with pleas to create children with him while slipping the necklace into his pocket. Himeno strongly decided against this one, for many reasons concerning her dignity. Aside from that, the possibility of getting thrown into jail was really huge… _No thank you._

She threw herself onto her bed in her frustration, not minding when the fluffy pillow fell off. Himeno stared at the ceiling of her flat, focusing her eyes on that particular spot where the paint was starting to flake. _Mou…_

It was at that moment when her friend, Satomi decided to call. "Moshimosh?" Himeno had to hold the receiver at least a foot from her ear when Satomi's excited squeal came through it.

"Himeno-chaaaaaaan!!! How was it?! Was he as gorgeous as usual? Did you get to talk to him?"

"Hai, Satomi-chan… mochiron desu…"

"Uso!!! Honto ni?"

Barely able to answer all her questions, Himeno decided to spill the beans and get it over with. "I knew I should have gone! But my boyfriend's parents were nice too, except Takeshi's mom made inedible pudding which reminded me of my mom's gardening gloves, but anyway-"

Satomi ranted and raved about missing the whole thing, and meeting her boyfriend's parents (who had to put up with Satomi's rather _bubbly_ personality). Himeno sighed and flopped down onto her bed once again. _What do I do with the ring?_

"Nee, Himeno-chan? Are you there? Are you even listening to me?!"

He kept on thinking about that girl he had met on the bus. Sasame couldn't believe he forgot to ask for her name and number before riding back to Tokyo with his bodyguards. He distinctly remembered saying to her, "We'll meet again" and wondered if he could keep that promise.

"Oi, Sasame, you need to do that exclusive I was telling you about yesterday. I promised you a week-long vacation if you agree to do one," Masako informed the silver-haired singer. "Do I really have to?" Sasame looked at her with such pleading eyes that she was almost tempted to drop the whole thing.

"Hey, at least you get to choose which magazine," she said comfortingly. Masako spread a couple of magazines on the table for Sasame to survey. _Tokyo Talk, J-Channel, Kawaii-Kakkoi, Sugoi Uta…_ these were the top magazines vying for the one-on-one with Sasame.

Sasame couldn't decide about which magazine to choose. They all seemed professional and they all had good layouts. Also, he had done exclusives with all those magazines during the past five years of his career. So far, they all had a good track record, except for _Kawaii-Kakkoi_, which had this female employee who managed to kungfu her way into his room and steal a lot of his stuff, including some of his boxers and a couple of strands of hair from his comb. Sasame heard she transferred to another magazine after getting fired for that stunt. It was impossible not to notice that she was the culprit, especially after finding this mini-shrine dedicated to him in her cubby, complete with his hair stuck to some crude doll she made. _Her name was something like Sato—ko? Satoshi?_

Demented females aside, he suddenly remembered the strange question thrown at him during yesterday's press conference. It was so unlike the other inquiries, trying to actually delve into his soul instead of just confirming things heard from the grapevine. Sasame decided to stick with that reporter, so at least the whole thing wouldn't be such a painful experience. _Maybe I can finally show my true self, the Sasame behind the whole shebang._

"Hey Masako-chan, which of these magazines was the last question from yesterday from? You know, the 'fairytale question'?" Masako smiled and said, "Let me see, yeah, that was a unique one. I thought you were going to faint on me or something; you took such a long time to answer. If I'm not mistaken, that reporter was from _Tokyo Talk_. You want to do the exclusive with red-sweater girl?"

"Yes please. Please arrange for a meeting with that girl from _Tokyo Talk_."

To be continued…

Advance happy birthday to me! Yayness! I'm having a hard time writing fics right now with my midterms and all, but I'm trying my best to finish this so I can get finish Picture Perfect, to make way for my pending Pretear fics (I promise you, they're really interesting stuff!)


	5. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Someone told me that an author had copied my story (same plot, she just changed Hayate's job), and I tried to read it but the girl deleted it I think. Whee. Plagiarism is **bad** people. So **if it's true**, whoever you are, don't do it again.

Sasame's a cool cat but he may seem flustered (ooc) in this fic. However, if you think about it, even _the_ silver bishie would be perturbed by the situations I put him in. Think possibility. Breathe in, breathe out. Thanks for the comments and suggestions, although I don't think the Japanese words would stop appearing in the text. I love _Nihongo_ too much.

A Song for My Beloved

Chapter 05: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Satomi Moriyama had to be the luckiest person in the world. Thanks to the absence of the editor-in-chief and the piece of paper that held the details of Himeno's switch with Satomi during the press conference (although some may argue that _this_ wasn't a coincidence), the assistant-editor assigned Satomi to do the exclusive with Yoshida Sasame.

The assistant-editor got a call from Masako, Sasame's manager, telling her that _Tokyo Talk_ was able to get the exclusive with **_the Silver Prince_**. Masako had forwarded the special request of Sasame to get interviewed by 'the girl who covered the press conference'.

"_Kono onna wa dare_…" the assistant-editor mused to herself, "Who was it again?" She checked her logbook and found Satomi's name. "_Moriyama Satomi_… Ah! _Sou da_!" she called out, "Moriyama-san?" "Hai?" Satomi popped out her head from her cubicle and went to the assistant-editor's desk. "_Doushitano_ Kato-san? Is anything wrong?" _Oh what did she notice now?_ Satomi ticked off a mental list, trying to figure out which mishap her boss had caught her causing.

Greenish water removed from office dispenser_, check._

Pens that squirt invisible ink: disposed of_, check._

Plans for redecorating office with tacky and nauseating floral wallpaper: trashed_, check._

Automatic back scratcher (the one that blew the floor's fuse last week): left at home_, check._

28 pages of Satomi's smooshed face (she had always wanted to try photocopying various parts of her body): shredded_… **not** a check._

Uh oh… Satomi wasn't even a follower of Shintoism or Buddhism, but at that moment, she found herself muttering prayers to various deities for protection and luck. Satomi had a knack for getting kicked out of magazines; her departure from a certain publication was even all over tabloids as it involved a popular singer.

* * *

Sasame glanced nervously at his watch, which was counting the minutes left before his meeting with the unusual reporter he had encountered during his press conference. He had been indecisive about the flowers; Sasame couldn't figure out whether to give her chrysanthemums or orchids. He didn't want to woo her but he **did** want to let her know that he was pleased with her, her question, and her overall strangeness… Based from what Masako had told him, the girl seemed spacey and distracted during the press conference. Sasame got purple orchids but he went back to exchange them for the yellow chrysanthemums. _Mums or orchids?_ After a few more moments of deliberation, he started to reach for the lilies. _Iee, that's not right either_. The kind storeowner decided to step in and handed him a bouquet of pink roses.

"Yoshida-san, you can give these to your girlfriend."

"These isn't for my girlfriend! She's a girl, and I want her to be my friend, but I don't think we'd go down **_that_** road…" Sasame was starting to fret and he flailed his arms in protest. The old woman smiled knowingly and said, "Just take them. I'm sure the dear girl would love this," giving the slightly panicked singer a reassuring pat on the back.

He stepped gratefully out of the tiny flower shop and immediately, Yuichiro and Jin-Jin (forget the cute name, this guy looked like he could kill you with his bare thumbs) were at his side, ready to protect him from harm, which usually came in the form of over-enthusiastic women vying for Sasame's attention. The singer checked his watch and found that there was still a bit of time left before the interview. He decided to head to the upper floors of the Pan-Pacific Hotel in Yokohama to meet his interviewer.

Sasame arrived in the room fifteen minutes early, the usual number of minutes he had to kill due to his advanced arrival. Plopping onto the plush couch, he loosened his grip on the bouquet of pink roses that he had unconsciously held like a lifeline due to his nervousness. His bodyguards peered at him with obvious concern from their comfortable perches on the unusually large loveseat. They made a curious pair, Yuichiro with his slight frame and Jin-Jin, a towering hulk of muscles and frowns. Hijima, Masako's assistant sometimes teased them about being _too close_ to each other. Masako on the other hand didn't care if they both swung that way, as long as Sasame got home in one piece, they'd get their full pay.

Normally, Masako would accompany him to interviews, unfortunately, this time she had to arrange the details of his upcoming concert. Her absence was affecting him greatly; it showed in the way his knuckles turned white because he had decided that the armrests needed to be held **firmly**.

Sasame wondered what kind of questions the reporter would ask him. _Is it going to be another fairytale question or a 'what brand of hairgel do you use' kind of question? _Based on what happened at the press conference, it looked like he didn't have to worry about the latter.

"Sasame-san, would you like us to stay inside the room or at the hall?" Yuichiro wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to intrude on his master's privacy, "There are seats where we could make ourselves comfortable." Jin-Jin shook his head and pursed his lips, showing his dislike for the notion of leaving Sasame in a room with a member of the opposite sex. They had encountered aggressive females in the past, and they didn't want to have those incidents repeated. Sasame gave a slight nod and told them, "It's okay, you guys could stay outside. I'll be fine here." He wondered if he could make the interviewer forget about her article and have a nice conversation with her instead.

Just as the two exited the room, Sasame heard two firm raps upon the thick door. Yuichiro opened the door to announce the Tokyo Talk reporter's arrival, and the _Silver Prince_ hurriedly got to greet her. He took a deep breath and waited for the crimson-sweater girl (it wasn't that he expected her to wear that forever; he just tagged her as such because it was his only clue to her identity) to step inside. He first saw her **blue** ballet flats, next her **blue** circle skirt and belt… His gaze then traveled up to her **blue** tank top with a **blue** jacket thrown over it, and finally to her… **_brown_** hair.

Satomi's smile was unusually bright, as if hiding some manic intention. Sasame got over his initial surprise and bowed while saying, "_Hajimemashite_. _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Watashi wa Yoshida Sasame desu. Anata no namae wa?_" She bowed even lower and said, "_Moriyama Satomi desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu._" He gave her a nervous grin before gesturing to the chair. As if on cue, Yuichiro shut the door and went back to Jin-Jin who was surfing the police archives for pictures of criminals who resembled the girl who just walked into the room. He had held her identification card hostage, and was comparing it to the faces that had come up in his database search.

The bouquet was suddenly snatched from his grasp and was held lovingly in the blue-clad reporter's arms. Satomi caressed the flowers and murmured sweet nothings to it while Sasame tried to sink into the couch. _Is it just me or is she actually molesting the bouquet!_ _Maybe she just really, REALLY likes flowers._ He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. As he was about to start the exclusive, she suddenly spoke in a sugary voice, "Sasame-**_chan_**, I'd like to show you a picture of you and me. We've met before, I hope you can still remember me."

She pulled out a huge album from her canvas tote, flipped a few pages and gave it to Sasame for him to be able to see the said picture. He had his arms around her, and the caption at the bottom read 'To Okinawa, with all our love'. There were magnificent bursts of fireworks behind them, and the sea had almost reached their ankles. The picture had Sasame stumped. "When was this taken Moriyama-san?" He didn't recall any visits to Okinawa during New Year… in fact he was positive that he had never stepped onto that island.

Strangely, the wave seemed like it was threatening to engulf them, and the clothes they were wearing were sweaters and shawls, definitely not something a normal Japanese would wear in Okinawa. _My ear! It's gone!_ His eyes roved over the picture, trying to see if he had lost any other body parts. He examined her face closely to see if he had indeed met her before, and if he had wrapped his arms around her like a koala bear. _Nope, nuh-uh, never, nada!_,his inner voice screamed.

Satomi gave a little laugh and said, "Oh, silly me. I Photoshop-ed that one. We didn't meet in Okinawa after all. Isn't it strange how two separate pictures fit so perfectly? It almost seems like we're M-F-E-O!" Her laugh was starting to sound more sinister by the second, and Sasame politely ventured, "What's M-F-E-O?" It was the question that sealed his fate.

Her laughter stopped, and was replaced with a deadpan expression as she replied, "Why, Sasame-darling, haven't you ever watched _Sleepless in Seattle_? M-F-E-O means that we're **m**ade-**f**or-**e**ach-**o**ther!" Satomi resumed her manic laughter and managed to bat her eyelashes coyly at him at the same time.

That sure wiped off the polite grin he had kept on his face. _Oh dear lord…_

He knew that it wasn't going to be the nice conversation he had hoped for as he flipped through the album and found pictures labeled 'Our children'. He wasn't even sure if he was going to remember this _loooong_ hour. Humans have been said to block out painful experiences in order to get over the trauma.

* * *

Outside, the two bodyguards were waiting for the exclusive to finish. Jin-Jin was still in the middle of his little investigation, while Yuichiro amused himself with the patterns on the ornate carpets. The floors were soon forgotten as Yuichiro found the magazine at his side more interesting.

To be continued…

Lalalalalala (waiting for the flames for this chapter). I've been living on fanfics and _Kyou Kara Maou_ (interesting show) for the past few months; I need to watch more anime.

Hope you guys don't stop reading this fic. Btw, I might find time next week to write another chapter for _Picture Perfect_. Oh, and I won't be posting the translations this time, they're kinda easy to understand methinks.


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